How to Save a Life
by NaNixon
Summary: A young Assassin is planted in LazyTown to complete an unusual assignment. But at what cost, and what happens when the assignment evolves to become so much more?
1. Chapter 1: A New Face

He strode purposefully down the main street of LazyTown, his eyes expertly taking in every minute detail of the bizarre landscape around him. Of course he had seen pictures of the place, heck, he'd virtually memorised the layouts of every building. But even that wasn't enough to stop him from being momentarily stunned by the warped architecture, impossibly unblemished and picturesque in the warm sunlight. The boy was no stranger to odd locations, but this little township tucked away in the middle of nowhere was something different.

To anyone who happened to see him passing by, he looked nothing more than another anonymous visitor dropping in from the train station to stretch out their legs and have a stroll before catching the next train to the city. LazyTown was that sort of place, where one could stop by, catch a breath, then jump back into the chaos of the world outside. For this young man however, a little digging would have revealed him as an accomplished cadet from the city's aviation academy, generously let off by the headmaster to have a bit of R&R and have a few casual flying lessons from the ever-docile Mayor Meanswell.

So it was no surprise to the mayor when he found the boy at his door, a simple black shoulder bag slung across his back.

"Good afternoon to you, my boy! It's so good to see you…?" the mayor trailed off, tugging at the lining of his beige suit. The boy shook his head in gentle amusement and extended his hand politely.

"Scott, sir. Scott Stillman".

The mayor took his hand and shook it vigorously.

"Yes, Scott! Scott, Scott, Scott. I do apologise, I'm such a mess when it comes to names. And please, call me Milford. Come inside and I'll show you to your room. You must be exhausted from all that time cramped up in that train…"

The mayor's bumbling voice faded away as he hurried down the corridor.

_In the headmaster's office away from the bustle of the academy, William placed a manila folder upon the table. Plain and unadorned except for the label 'People of Interest' in the corner, he opened it and slid one of the pages across the polished surface toward Scott. He waited for him to briefly scan the contents before speaking._

"_Here's the man you'll be staying with during your assignment. Milford Meanswell. A genuine person, albeit extremely clumsy when it comes to secrets, so extra caution is advised when going about your work."_

Scott found Milford bustling about and putting the final touches to the room. Patting down the bed covers, he turned to Scott and smiled widely.

"There you are! Anything else I can do for you? No? Are you sure? Well, settle in and don't hesitate to ask me for anything! I'd better get started on that cake for Miss Busybody…"

He hurried off again, chuckling to himself contentedly.

_Another sheet of paper glided across the table._

"_This is Meanswell's secretary, Bessie Busybody. With a name like that and a personality to boot, you'd want to keep yourself from being her subject of hot gossip. But keep an ear out for her too; you might get something useful out of her."_

Closing the door and sliding the bag off his shoulder and onto the bed, Scott opened the zip and reached inside a hidden pocket, removing a thin package wrapped in cloth and a small rectangular case. Listening for Milford's humming in the kitchen, he lifted the mattress and stowed the items within the framework of before replacing the mattress and leaving the bed looking as untouched as before. Stepping back out into the hallway, Scott heard the mayor now busying himself in the next room. As he poked his head around the door to see if the man needed any help, he did his second double-take of the day. The room was strikingly pink, the sunlight streaming in through the open window and falling upon the mayor as he fluffed up a pillow.

"Hello again, Scott! Do you need anything? A drink? Pancakes?"

For one of the few times in his life, Scott was dumbfounded. Knowledge was a critical element in the success of his assignments over the years, and being forced onto the back foot by uncertainty was something he absolutely dreaded.

"No thanks Milford, I'm just fine. By the way," he added as casually as possible, leaning against the doorframe. "Is someone else coming to stay?"

"Why yes of course, my lovely niece Stephanie is coming to visit!" Milford exclaimed delightedly. "Oh dear, did I forget to tell you? How clumsy of me. But don't worry, she's a wonderful girl. I'm sure you two will get along together just fine."

From his description of this Stephanie who he clearly seemed to dote on, Scott could only assume she would not pose a threat to him or his purpose in LazyTown. Nevertheless, he wanted to be certain. The Assassins were willing to risk someone of his own age to ensure success, which mean their enemies were more than likely to do the same. As the mayor finished polishing the mirror above the vanity table, Scott broke the silence.

"So when do we get to meet her?"


	2. Chapter 2: Sea Change

Stepping off the train, Stephanie found herself alone on the platform and felt the usual sense of relief that escaping from curious eyes brought her. It wasn't that she minded being different—in fact, it was quite the opposite—but she had never gotten used to the sideways glances and outright stares from passers-by. So it was with a mixed feeling of excitement and trepidation that Stephanie had farewelled her parents at the city's crowded train station, her mother planting a warm kiss on her forehead and her father ruffling her hair teasingly.

They were the two people she loved the most, but their exalted positions in their respective businesses meant she was always left with a babysitter of sorts when they were inevitably pulled away for some 'power party', as they were jokingly called. Stephanie's logic was that they were just being protective of their only child and so never complained, even as she approached the age of fourteen. But with two last-minute business conferences stretching over most of the summer holidays, one couldn't be found in time and her uncle Milford jumped at the chance to see her again.

And thus, with her two bright red suitcases in either hand, Stephanie began the walk across LazyTown to her uncle's house. In spite of being struck by the wacky designs of the buildings around her, she couldn't help but notice the dismal state of the sports field and the broken basketball ring; the absence of kids running and playing making her frown. More than ever, she'd wanted to make friends here, friends who wouldn't care about the colour of her hair or what she wore. Bowing her head and sighing resignedly, she trudged across the street, not realising she was nearing her uncle who was waving madly at her and the boy standing stock-still at his side.

"Hello, Stephanie! Over here, Stephanie!" he called, heedless of the oven mitts on his hands and the frilly apron tied around his waist. "There you are!"

Looking up, she flashed a smile and increased her pace.

"Hi, Uncle Milford!" she grinned, placing her suitcases on the ground and wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so glad to be here!"

"And I'm so glad to have you! I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time." he said, patting his bulging stomach contentedly. "How was your trip?"

"It was okay, I like riding in trains!" she replied, shrugging cheerfully.

"Oh, and before I forget, let me introduce you to Scott," Milford said, gesturing to his right. "I just know you two are going to be the best of friends."

Cocking her head questioningly, Stephanie turned and blinked in surprise. A lean, yet toned boy of about sixteen years of age was standing silently with his hands in the back pockets of his jeans and his penetrating green eyes locked on hers; calculating, evaluating. She found herself unable to move or avert her eyes, her mouth suddenly dry and her heart thumping in her chest. What drew her to him, even when she didn't know a thing about him? What was this fluttering sensation in her stomach? Then he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and the moment passed.

"Pleased to meet you, Stephanie," he said affably. "I'm Scott. And if I may?"

Stephanie swallowed, letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Yeah?"

"I like what you've done to your hair."

At this, Stephanie ducked her head and giggled, covering her face with her hands to hide the blush rising to her cheeks. For reasons unknown, she couldn't help but feel comfortable around this young teen looking at her bemusedly with his head tilted, not sure whether to laugh or apologise. Looking up, Stephanie smiled at him, her eyes shining.

"It's always been like this."

Watching on, Milford drummed his fingertips together with satisfaction, pleased with himself for sparking the friendly chemistry between the two.

"Let's get you to your room." he finally said to his niece. "I'll take your suitcase..."

"Oh no, it's okay!" Stephanie insisted, looking away and bending down to pick to pick them up. "I've got them."

Milford turned to Scott, whose gaze was now fixed on a point behind him with his eyes narrowed.

"Strong girl," he chuckled. "Oh, do you see something? There's been a tiny little kitten scampering around lately, climbing up trees and whatnot. I should really do something about the poor thing."

Scott blinked.

"Sorry, I must have zoned out for a second. I'll go help Stephanie with the door; it looks like her hands are a bit full don't you think?"


	3. Chapter 3: Unfamiliar Territory

Hurrying up the footpath, the two were amused to find Stephanie hopping on one leg, valiantly trying to open the door with a suitcase balanced precariously on her raised knee.

Stifling a laugh, Scott reached around unobtrusively to pluck the suitcase from her lap, catching the surprised girl by the shoulders as she finally lost her balance. Milford chortled heartily and reached into his pocket for the key to unlock the door, making the young girl's face match the colour of her hair. Stepping aside to let her in, Scott saw her look of embarrassment turned to one of wonder as she walked into the kitchen, her mouth hanging open at the sight of the almost caricature-like design of the room.

"Oh, I'm so happy you've come to visit!" the mayor said again happily, trailing along behind her.

"Wow, Uncle!" his niece finally exclaimed, coming to a stop beside Scott, whose nose was wrinkling slightly. "This is a nice place! I think I'm going to like it here!"

Turning to the boy she avidly hoped was now her new friend, she noticed the look on his face before sniffing at the air herself. Needless to say, her expression soon matched his.

"What's that smell?"

Her uncle gave an exclamation of surprise, and the two leaned over the table to peer over his shoulder as the man hastened to the oven, which had plumes of smoke seeping ominously from around the edges.

"Oh my! Oh dear…" he muttered, coughing at the wall of steam that hit him in the face after prying the oven door open.

"Oh dear!" he said again, fanning at the smouldering remains inside in vain. "I was baking a cake for Miss Busybody, but I think I'm only making a mess for myself."

"_Busybody?_" the girl in pink repeated incredulously, looking at Scott with her eyebrows raised.

"A friend of your uncle's," Scott replied, winking. Like the first time he had somewhat of a conversation with her, he noticed Stephanie blush as she turned away hurriedly and found himself frowning inwardly. He didn't know what to make of her genuinely friendly approaches towards him, and was confused as to how to respond. Being completely honest with himself, he had absolutely no clue as to how to deal with the situation, which was evidently going to last over most, if not all, of his time in LazyTown.

Scott knew how to completely disassemble and reassemble a HK45C handgun in less than thirty seconds, and could easily plant a .408 calibre round between the eyes of a moving target more than two kilometres away. He knew the intricacies of virtually all forms of combat, and earned a reputation at a military boot camp by single-handedly painting the groins of a SEAL team bright yellow during a game of paintball.

He also knew absolutely nothing about girls.

"Why don't I show you to your room?"

Milford's voice broke into Scott's thoughts and he shook himself mentally, setting his expression to one of interest as he followed the mayor and his niece down the hall. Scott was never a person to be easily amused or empathetic, but nevertheless the excited gasp that came from Stephanie's mouth didn't stop him from smiling slightly as he watched her spin around in exhilaration, the decidedly pink design of the room obviously delighting her.

"Make yourself at home, and have a rest," Milford said, sure that his niece would collapse into bed in exhaustion.

"Oh, I'm not tired," she replied brightly, placing her suitcases on the bed and shrugging off her backpack.

"Really?"

Her uncle was flabbergasted. The pink girl smiled at him cheerfully in response.

"Really! In fact, I was kind of hoping to play now."

"Oh! Well," he said, recovering quickly and procuring a set of playing cards seemingly from out of nowhere. "Here you go!"

Watching the exchange, Scott could only laugh, his arms folded across his chest as he stood in the doorway. Hesitating slightly, Stephanie took the cards from her uncle's outstretched hands and snuck a dirty look at Scott, who was now chuckling softly at the floor.

"Playing cards?" she asked uncertainly, fanning them out in her hands.

"Have a nice summer!" Milford replied obliviously, happily trotting out of the room. The young girl watched him go in bewilderment, then her gaze flickered to Scott who had moved into the room to let him pass.

Feeling eyes on the back of head, Scott turned to see Stephanie with the cards still in her hands, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. His heart softened, something that surprised him more than the words that came out of his mouth.

"So, how good are you at making card castles?"


	4. Chapter 4: Breaking the Ice

The hour passed in a blur, and Stephanie couldn't remember a time when she had laughed more. With her sides aching, tears still running down her face and a hiccup that wouldn't go away, she accidently bumped Scott's shoulder as they gathered up the cards for what must have been the thousandth time that day.

It was her fault, really.

She had been watching intently Scott as he'd delicately positioned the last card over the towering structure on her bed, it having finally survived a never-ending string of catastrophes and mishaps ranging from clumsy fingers to the clichéd sneeze (both of which had been predominantly hers). The sheer concentration on his face had mesmerised her, and she hadn't realised she was staring at him until he'd waved a free hand in front of her face, amused. _Hey, no more sneezing this time alright?_ Giggling, she remembered shaking her head rapidly as she lay on her stomach at the head of the bed, her hair fanning out and dislodging one of the cards holding the whole thing up. Horrified, she had clapped her hands to her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut, expecting the castle to come tumbling down in a whirlwind of cards.

The moment never came, however. Cracking her eyelids open, Scott's face had been just inches from hers, the tips of his fingers having just caught the card as he'd launched himself across to save it. She'd looked at him, her mouth hanging open dumbly without her realising it. _How on earth did you…?_ Saying nothing but his eyes twinkling, Scott had awkwardly extracted the card he had been holding out from under him and offered it to her. She'd taken it gingerly and shuffled on her knees towards the castle, reaching up to place it on the peak. But then she'd felt a tingling in her nose and before she could even blink, the sneeze erupted from her mouth and blew the result of an hour's meticulous efforts into smithereens. Laughing uncontrollably with her, Scott had collapsed against the wall holding his stomach and she'd found herself buried in his chest, soaking his shirt with tears as she shook with laughter.

Her hiccups having finally subsided, Stephanie looked sideways at the two small patches still drying out on his shirt and couldn't contain the small splutter of laughter that arose from the memory. Glancing downwards before tutting at her with mock severity, Scott plucked the deck of cards from her hands and deftly shuffled them before sliding them back into the box. All of a sudden, Stephanie felt shy and dipped her head, her hair falling around her flushed cheeks.

Silence now fell upon the room.

She raised her eyes nearly gasped when she saw Scott's locked onto hers. He looked uncertain, confused. Scared? His green eyes flickered, and he looked away.

"Having a good time?"

She started, spinning around to see her uncle ambling through the doorway with the frilly apron proudly back around his waist.

"Give us another deck of cards, and we'll build the Empire State Building!" she replied sardonically, recovering quickly. She heard Scott chuckle softy behind her and was glad. A buzzer sounded loudly from the kitchen, and Milford jumped almost as much as she did when he'd come in.

"Oh! My cake! Oh my…"

Watching her uncle scurry down the corridor, Stephanie turned back to Scott and shook her head at him with a bemused smile on her face. He returned the look, hopping off the bed lightly and dusting off his jeans.

"Well, at least he's trying to get it right this time."

She laughed as she grabbed a blue ball from her rucksack, falling into step beside Scott on his way to the door.

"If my uncle doesn't need any help with the cake, do you want to throw this around outside for a bit and maybe find some other kids? I'm sure it beats building card castles with me at any rate."

Moving aside to let her through, Scott pinched the bridge of his nose in mock frustration.

"Can't argue with you there, so it's a plan to me."

Walking into the kitchen, Stephanie found her uncle teetering precariously as he guided the cake tray onto the bench.

"That's a lovely cake, Uncle!" she exclaimed, spinning the ball idly in her hands.

"Oh yes, isn't it beautiful?" Milford asked, before noticing the rucksack on his niece's back and Scott standing next to her. "Oh, where are you two going?"

Stephanie did the talking.

"We were going out to find some kids to play with."

"Oh, kids playing in LazyTown...that's a good one!" her uncle replied, chuckling merrily. She laughed along with him, thinking he was joking around with her. He wasn't.

"No one does that."

She frowned in disbelief.

"What?"

"No, really!" Milford reiterated. "No one plays outside. And what if something terrible should happen? What if you played so much that you got _tired?_"

She scoffed light-heartedly, tugging at Scott's arm as she skipped towards the front door.

"We're just going out to play!"

Running outside into the sun and pulling Scott behind her, she heard her uncle's concerned voice follow her.

"Oh, please, _please_, be careful!"


End file.
